Why the Storyteller?

I run a Vampire: the Masquerade game for a group of my friends. We generally meet every other Friday evening, and for a few hours they run their characters through various scenarios I create. I won't discuss my developmental process right now, but suffice it to say, things usually do not go as planned.

Every game master knows this: Players are a tricky bunch, and when you present a sandbox scenario (I happen to love sandbox games), players will run off the rails pretty quick.  It's a unique challenge, trying to herd (in my case) seven individual quick minded people, each with their own goals, onto a story path. In addition to that, a game master has to remember relevant non player characters, locations, primary and secondary story arcs, tertiary story threads, political environments, behind the scene machinations, player and character goals.... Oh, and when portraying those npcs, the gm has to portray each one as an individual, provide mannerisms and speech, and remember THOSE npc goals if relevant.

It can be a daunting, quickly overwhelming task. It can be frustrating, heart breaking even. It can break some gamers' will to gm anymore, or even cause them to stop playing altogether. So the big question one might ask is, "Why? Why would you want to be the Storyteller in the game?"

I can't speak for every game master, dm, or storyteller out there. I can perhaps hazard a guess on their behalf, but that speculation will be colored by my own experience or lack thereof. What drives me may not drive someone else, and that's fine. There are no wrong answers when it comes to why a successful game master does what he does (though, if you're running a game for world wide fame, glory, and to pick up supermodels.... Eh, I don't think you're gonna be happy). So, I'll speak for myself, and if there happens to be carry over for someone else, great. If not.... No worries.

I guess to start from the basics, we'll discuss world building. I enjoy the idea of presenting a backdrop that players can interact with. I like developing elements that in some way will resonate with players and their characters. Such aesthetic is informed by the type of game I'm running, as well as the general mood of the players, but it generally has to be an aesthetic that I personally enjoy. In the case of the VtM game, the setting is a grim, gritty analog of Nashville. My group lives near Nashville, and we're familiar with it (though in the game the city is called Ashford, and is located near Gary, Indiana). The grim mood is in line with the theme of most Vampire games, and since I like gritty movies and stories, and kind of a noire vibe, this hits my buttons. I can get into this.

As to developing story lines... I like to write. I like weaving webs, casting entanglements, seeing how pieces fit together. I like getting reactions from my players. I like drawing then into a tale I'm telling, getting them lost in the story and how the pieces interact with one another. I like playing with character emotions and motivations, drawing out expectations and tensions. Intrigue and morality plays are my go to devices.

With npcs, I like acting, I like performing. Each npc is a chance for me to don a new suit, try on a new skin, fit in a new head. I like the challenge of finding the proper voice, the proper stance, the correct gestures for an npc. Many times, I have to do this on the fly, so I get to stretch my improvisational wings, and then work my memory as I try to remember those bits and pieces for the next time I present that npc.

As a whole, the challenge of presenting a cohesive experience kind of gets my juices flowing. I mentioned before that I like writing, but when I prep for a game, I write very little, if anything, down. A couple of jotted notes, a thin outline if I'm feeling like working, and then we're off to the races. At that point, it becomes a competition of sorts. Can I keep up with and entertain these seven people? Can I keep my plots framed together and relevant to both the story and the characters? If I screw up, can I cover it without the players knowing?

This last point I'm going to hit is probably the one you'll hear least about if you do any research on story telling or game mastering, but I think it's one of the most honest points, as well as the one that indicates the most vulnerability. I have a pretty healthy ego. It can take a decent amount of abuse and I'll still be peachy keen. But at the end of the day, I like to be appreciated. I like to know I did a good job at something. I like having people entertained by what I do. I like to have my friends like me, and by entertaining them, by taking them on an adventure of the mind, I can prove my worth to them. Does that mean I want them to constantly pat me on the back and praise me? No. I want the critiques. I want to know where I mistepped. I want to know where I can improve. Yea, I want my ego stroked, but I want to earn it honestly.

So there you have it. I almost exclusively take the part of the Storyteller as opposed to playing.  With all of the inherent obstacles and struggles that come with running a game, that's the slot in which I thrive. I enjoy it. That's my element. And now, to some extent, you have the reasons as to why I'm a Storyteller.